


i could recognize him by touch alone, by smell (i would know him in death, at the end of the world)

by Dontfloatthe100



Category: The Pinkertons (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-10-11 03:07:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10453593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dontfloatthe100/pseuds/Dontfloatthe100
Summary: Prompt: "You know something has gone horribly wrong in your life when you recognize brain and bone scans of your best friend on sight."





	

**Author's Note:**

> I saw this prompt and I was like lmao that's warnerton

Kate opened her eyes slowly, and immediately shut them, the glaring fluorescents of the room too bright for her just yet. She slowly adjusted to the lights and opened her eyes fully. She looked around, quickly taking notice of everything in an attempt to get her bearings. 

Beside her bed, a beeping EKG moniter rested. A TV that had been switched off was attached to the wall in front of her. There was a tray of untouched food to her right. She immediately understood where she was. Hospital. Again.

Her next thought was of Will. He had taken the brunt of last night's attack. Like the noble idiot he was, he stepped in front of her as the robber had swung at her. They were able to beat him back until backup showed up, but they both were roughed up enough to warrant an overnight stay in the hospital. 

She attempted to sit up and felt a pain in her chest. She winced and slowed, easing her way into a sitting position. She reached over and pressed the button that would call the nurse. She looked out of the small window in the door and watched as a nurse hurried down the hall and opened the door. Kate immediately recognized her as Mary, one of the nurses on that floor and her regular attendant. How telling it was that she had to say regular.

"Hello, Kate," Mary said, closing the door behind her. "How're you feeling?"

"Just fine, Mary. A little pain around my chest. Where's Will? He's here isn't he?"

"Yes, he's just next door. We put you two close together. We wouldn't want a repeat of last time," Mary said with a wink.

Kate groaned. Last time, in a drugged stupor, Will had attempted to get to her room across the ward and had to be held back by some nurses. She then had to get out of bed with a concussion and assure him that she was alright. She never let him live that one down.

"How is he doing?" Kate asked.

"A little worse off than you, but he'll be fine. Sit back now, I have to take your vitals." 

Kate obeyed and waited patiently as her pulse was taken and her heart beat was listened to and her reflexes were tested. When that was all done, she sat back and downed a few pain killers that Mary brought her. She then reached over to the food on her bedside table and grabbed her jello cup. She was always partial to the jello at the hospital. It wasn't Kosher, and Kate was sure that if her parents knew, they'd have a fit.

She sat back and enjoyed her treat as her thoughts drifted again to Will. He landed himself in the hospital more often than she did, as he was never as careful as she was. But they were both in there often enough to become familiar with the ER. She knew most of the nurses and doctors by name and she knew a few perfunctory facts about them. Mary, for example, was going through the adoption process with her wife, and often complained about how tedious it is. She knew the girl at the front desk was having sex with the janitor and the senior doctor on that floor was going to quit sometime soon and audition for a Broadway musical. She was friendly with them and they all knew her and Will well. 

Kate sat up taller and moved to the edge of her bed to get her file. She pulled it out of its pocket with a little pain from her ribs. She sat back and opened it, ready to asses the damage herself.

She could tell almost immediately whose file it was, and it wasn't her own. 

She recognized the healed fracture on the 7th rib on the right side and the pin in his third phalange on his left hand. She didn't need to go through the rest of the file to know that it was Will's, and not her own.

Mary must've mixed up their files, Kate thought as she continued to flip through his file. She caught sight of his blood tests. His count was normal, but his blood sugar was very low. She looked to the back to check the doctor recommendations. The doctor seemed to have forgotten to recommend a sugar water solution for his IV. She sighed and lifted herself out of her bed. She wobbled a little, but remained up right. She slowly made her way to Will's room, his file in hand. 

She heard two voices in his room as she stood outside. They seemed to be arguing. Figures, she thought as she opened the door. Inside she saw Mary trying to keep Will in bed as he tried just as hard to leave. 

"Mary, I have to get to her. If you don't have the right file you can really mess her up," Will said none too quietly.

"You don't have to go anywhere, Mister. You need to stay put."

Mary noticed her leaning in the doorway after a few more seconds of struggling. "Kate, what're you doing out of bed?"

Will stopped his struggling and gave her a relieved smile. He was obviously pleased that she was OK.

"I was looking at my file when I realized that it wasn't my file at all, it was Will's. I came over to return it to him."

"That's funny, Will told me the same thing and insisted on going to give it to you himself. I was about to check for myself, but I had to stop him from moving," Mary said, and Kate rolled her eyes.

"How did you know it was my file," Will asked as Mary took said file from him.

"I recognized your fracture from that time you broke your ribs and I saw the pin in your left middle finger. How did you know that was my file?" As she said it, she realized how odd it was for her to know that. Sure, her and Will were partners and arguably best friends, but she knew none of the other partner groups at the station know that each other. And she was sure that Annalee and Miyo or John and Kenji weren't familiar with each other's bone scans.

"Your cholesterol is a lot more even than mine. And these are your normal mineral and electrolyte counts. Can you really recognize me from my x-rays?" Will said.

Kate blushed. "Well, yeah. Can you really recognize me from my blood tests?"

"Yeah... I guess I can."

They both looked away from each other as Mary looked at them both. A knowing smirked graced her features. Just then, Kate remembered the other reason she was there.

"Oh yeah, Mary, Will's blood sugar is very low. He needs some sugar water ASAP. I don't even know how he's still conscious."

Mary took the file from her and checked it over. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll go get some right now. Do you need help getting back to your room?" 

"No, I think I might stay here. Is that OK, Will?"

"Fine by me," he said and made some room next to her on the bed. She walked over and laid down next to him, propping herself up on his pillow. Mary watched them with a fond smile and then left to get Will's medicine.


End file.
